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'{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2011}} {{About|the South Asian mountain|the mountain in Alberta|Mount K2|other uses|K2 (disambiguation)}} {{pp-move-indef|small=yes}} {{Infobox mountain | name = K2 | photo = K2 2006b.jpg | photo_caption = K2, summer 2006 | elevation_m = 8611 | elevation_ref = <br /><small>[[List of highest mountains|Ranked 2nd]] ([[List of mountains in Pakistan|1st in Pakistan]])</small> | prominence_m = 4017 | prominence_ref = | map = Tibetan Plateau | map_caption = | label_position = right | listing = [[Eight-thousander]]<br />[[List of peaks by prominence|22nd most prominent]]<br />[[List of countries by highest point|Country high point]]<br />[[Seven Second Summits]] | location = {{Flagicon|PAK}} [[Gilgit-Baltistan]], [[Pakistan]]<br />{{Flagicon|PRC}} [[Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County|Tashkurgan]], [[Xinjiang]], China | range = [[Karakoram]] | lat_d = 35 | lat_m = 52 | lat_s = 57 | lat_NS = N | long_d = 76 | long_m = 30 | long_s = 48 | long_EW = E | coordinates = {{Coord|35|52|57|N|76|30|48|E |type:mountain |display=inline,title}} | coordinates_ref = <ref>[http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/420123/an/0/page/0#420123 Northern Pakistan Places, Photos, 750+ Placemarks! – Google Earth Community<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> | first_ascent = 31 July 1954<br />{{Flagicon|ITA}} [[Achille Compagnoni]]<br />{{Flagicon|ITA}} [[Lino Lacedelli]] | easiest_route = Abruzzi Spur }} '''K2''' is the second-[[List of highest mountains|highest]] mountain on Earth, after [[Mount Everest]]. With a peak elevation of {{convert|28251|ft|m|disp=flip|abbr=in}}, K2 is part of the [[Karakoram]] [[Mountain Range|Range]], and is located on the border<ref name="border_agreement">[http://www.law.fsu.edu/library/collection/LimitsinSeas/IBS085.pdf Text of border agreement between China and Pakistan]</ref> between [[Gilgit]], in [[Gilgit-Baltistan]] of [[Pakistan]] and the [[Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County]] of [[Xinjiang]], China.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/309107/K2|title=K2|publisher=Britannica.com|accessdate=2010-01-23}}</ref>{{Ref label|A|note|none}} It is more hazardous to reach K2 from the Chinese side; thus, it is mostly climbed from the Pakistani side. K2 is known as the '''Savage Mountain''' due to the difficulty of ascent and the second-highest fatality rate among the "[[eight thousanders]]" for those who climb it. For every four people who have reached the summit, one has died trying.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.8000ers.com/cms/download.html?func=startdown&id=161|title=K2 list of ascents and fatalities|format=PDF|publisher=8000ers.com|accessdate=2010-01-23}}</ref> Unlike [[Annapurna]], the mountain with the highest fatality rate, K2 has never been climbed in winter. == Name == [[File:K2 by Montgomery.jpg|thumb|left|Montgomerie's original sketch in which he applied the notation K2]] The name K2 is derived from the notation used by the [[Great Trigonometric Survey]]. [[Thomas George Montgomerie|Thomas Montgomerie]] made the first survey of the Karakoram from [[Mount Haramukh]], some {{convert|130|mi|km|disp=flip|abbr=in}} to the south, and sketched the two most prominent peaks, labelling them K1 and K2.<ref>{{cite book |title=K2: The Story of the Savage Mountain|last=Curran|first=Jim|authorlink=|co-authors=|year=1995 |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|location= |isbn=978-0340660072|page=25}}</ref> The policy of the Great Trigonometric Survey was to use local names for mountains wherever possible<ref>The most obvious exception to this policy was [[Mount Everest]], where the local name Chomolungma was probably known, but ignored in order to pay tribute to [[George Everest]]. See Curran, p. 29-30.</ref> and K1 was found to be known locally as [[Masherbrum]]. K2, however, appeared not to have acquired a local name, possibly due to its remoteness. The mountain is not visible from [[Askole]], the last village to the south, or from the nearest habitation to the north, and is only fleetingly glimpsed from the end of the [[Baltoro Glacier]], beyond which few local people would have ventured.<ref name="Curran30">Curran, p. 30</ref> The name ''Chogori'', derived from two [[Balti language|Balti]] words, ''chhogo'' ("big") and ''ri'' ("mountain") (شاہگوری) has been suggested as a local name, but evidence for its widespread use is scant. It may have been a compound name invented by Western explorers<ref name="carter_1983">[[H. Adams Carter]], "A Note on the Chinese Name for K2, 'Qogir'", ''American Alpine Journal'', 1983, p. 296. Carter, the long-time editor of the ''AAJ'', goes on to say that the name ''Chogori'' "has no local usage. The mountain was not prominently visible from places where local inhabitants ventured and so had no local name&nbsp;... The Baltis use no other name for the peak than K2, which they pronounce 'Ketu'. I strongly recommend ''against'' the use of the name ''Chogori'' in any of its forms."</ref> or simply a bemused reply to the question "What's that called?"<ref name="Curran30"/> It does, however, form the basis for the name ''Qogir'' ({{zh|s=乔戈里峰|t=喬戈里峰|p=Qiáogēlǐ Fēng}}) by which Chinese authorities officially refer to the peak. Other local names have been suggested including ''Lamba Pahar'' ("Tall Mountain" in Urdu) and ''Dapsang'', but are not widely used.<ref name="Curran30"/> Lacking a local name, the name ''Mount Godwin-Austen'' was suggested, in honour of [[Henry Haversham Godwin-Austen|Henry Godwin-Austen]], an early explorer of the area, and while the name was rejected by the [[Royal Geographical Society]]<ref name="Curran30"/> it was used on several maps, and continues to be used occasionally.<ref>{{CIA World Factbook link|pk|Pakistan}}</ref><ref name="carter_godwin_austen">H. Adams Carter, "Balti Place Names in the Karakoram", ''American Alpine Journal'', 1975, p. 52–53. Carter notes that "Godwin Austen is the name of the glacier at its eastern foot and is only incorrectly used on some maps as the name of the mountain."</ref> The surveyor's mark, K2, therefore continues to be the name by which the mountain is commonly known. It is now also used in the Balti language, rendered as ''Kechu'' or ''Ketu''<ref name="carter_1983"/><ref name="carter_ketu">Carter, ''op cit''. Carter notes a generalisation of the word ''Ketu'': "A new word, ''ketu'', meaning 'big peak', seems to be entering the Balti language."</ref> ({{lang-ur|کے ٹو}}). The Italian climber [[Fosco Maraini]] argued in his account of the ascent of [[Gasherbrum IV]] that while the name of K2 owes its origin to chance, its clipped, impersonal nature is highly appropriate for so remote and challenging a mountain. He concluded that it was&nbsp;...<ref>{{cite book |title=Karakoram: the ascent of Gasherbrum IV |last=Maraini |first=Fosco |authorlink=Fosco Maraini |co-authors= |year=1961 |publisher=Hutchinson |location= |isbn= |pages= }} Quoted in Curran, p. 31.</ref> {{quote|...&nbsp;just the bare bones of a name, all rock and ice and storm and abyss. It makes no attempt to sound human. It is atoms and stars. It has the nakedness of the world before the first man&nbsp;– or of the cindered planet after the last.}} ==Geographical setting== K2 lies in the northwestern [[Karakoram Range]]. The [[Tarim basin|Tarim sedimentary basin]] borders the range on the north and the [[Lesser Himalayas]] on the south. Melt waters from vast glaciers, such as those south and east of K2, feed agriculture in the valleys and contribute significantly to the regional fresh-water supply. The Karakoram Range lies along the southern edge of the [[Eurasian plate|Eurasian tectonic plate]] and is made up of ancient sedimentary rocks (more than 390 million years old). Those strata were folded and thrust-faulted, and granite masses were intruded, when the [[Indian plate]] collided with Eurasia, beginning more than 100 million years ago.<ref>{{Include-NASA|article=STS106-705-9|url=http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/debrief/STS106/topFiles/STS106-705-9.htm}}</ref> K2 is only [[List of peaks by prominence|ranked 22nd]] by [[topographic prominence]], a measure of a mountain's independent stature, because it is part of the same extended area of uplift (including the Karakoram, the Tibetan Plateau, and the Himalaya) as [[Mount Everest]], in that it is possible to follow a path from K2 to Everest that goes no lower than {{convert|4594|m|ft}}, at [[Mustang (kingdom)|Mustang Lo]]. Many other peaks which are far lower than K2 are more independent in this sense. However, K2 is notable for its local relief as well as its total height. It stands over {{convert|3000|m|ft}} above much of the glacial valley bottoms at its base. More extraordinary is the fact that it is a consistently steep pyramid, dropping quickly in almost all directions. The north side is the steepest: there it rises over {{convert|3200|m|ft}} above the K2 (Qogir) Glacier in only {{convert|3000|m|ft}} of horizontal distance. In most directions, it achieves over {{convert|2800|m|ft}} of vertical relief in less than {{convert|4000|m|ft}}.<ref name="8000m_map">Jerzy Wala, ''The Eight-Thousand-Metre Peaks of the Karakoram'', Orographical Sketch Map, The Climbing Company Ltd/Cordee, 1994.</ref> ==Climbing history== ===Early attempts=== [[File:K2 West 1909.jpg|thumb|right|The west face of K2 taken from the Savoia Glacier on the 1909 expedition]] The mountain was first surveyed by a European survey team in 1856. [[Thomas George Montgomerie|Thomas Montgomerie]] was the member of the team who designated it "K2" for being the second peak of the Karakoram range. The other peaks were originally named K1, K3, K4 and K5, but were eventually renamed [[Masherbrum]], [[Broad Peak]], [[Gasherbrum II]] and [[Gasherbrum I]] respectively. In 1892, [[Martin Conway, 1st Baron Conway of Allington|Martin Conway]] led a British expedition that reached "[[Concordia (Karakoram)|Concordia]]" on the [[Baltoro Glacier]].<ref>Charles S. Houston (1953) K2, the Savage Mountain. McGraw-Hill.</ref> The first serious attempt to climb K2 was undertaken in 1902 by [[Oscar Eckenstein]] and [[Aleister Crowley]], via the Northeast Ridge. In the early 1900s, modern transportation did not exist: It took "fourteen days just to reach the foot of the mountain".<ref>[http://hermetic.com/crowley/confessions/chapter16.html] "Confessions of Aleister Crowley, Chapter 16"</ref> After five serious and costly attempts, the team reached {{convert|6525|m|ft}}<ref>[http://www.k2climb.net/expguide/timeline.htm A timeline of human activity on K2]</ref>&nbsp;— although considering the difficulty of the challenge, and the lack of modern climbing equipment or weatherproof fabrics, Crowley's statement that "neither man nor beast was injured" highlights the pioneering spirit and bravery of the attempt. The failures were also attributed to sickness (Crowley was suffering the residual effects of malaria), a combination of questionable physical training, personality conflicts, and poor weather conditions&nbsp;— of 68 days spent on K2 (at the time, the record for the longest time spent at such an altitude) only eight provided clear weather.<ref>{{cite book | last = Booth | first = Martin | authorlink = Martin Booth | title=A Magick Life: A Biography of Aleister Crowley | origyear=2000 | format=[[trade paperback]] | edition=Coronet | year=2001 | publisher=Hodder and Stoughton | location=London | isbn=0-340-71806-4 | pages=152–157 | chapter = Rhythms of Rapture}}</ref> {{anchor|Notable2}}The next expedition to K2 in 1909, led by [[Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi]], reached an elevation of around {{convert|6250|m|ft}} on the South East Spur, now known as the ''Abruzzi Spur'' (or Abruzzi Ridge). This would eventually become part of the standard route, but was abandoned at the time due to its steepness and difficulty. After trying and failing to find a feasible alternative route on the West Ridge or the North East Ridge, the Duke declared that K2 would never be climbed, and the team switched its attention to [[Chogolisa]], where the Duke came within {{convert|150|m|ft}} of the summit before being driven back by a storm.<ref>{{cite book |title=K2: The Story of the Savage Mountain|last=Curran|first=Jim|authorlink=|coauthors=|year=1995 |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|location= |isbn=978-0340660072|pages=65–72}}</ref> [[File:K2 East Face 1909.jpg|thumb|K2 from the east, photographed during the 1909 expedition]] The next attempt on K2 was not made until 1938, when an American expedition led by [[Charles Snead Houston|Charles Houston]] made a reconnaissance of the mountain. They concluded that the Abruzzi Spur was the most practical route, and reached a height of around {{convert|8000|m|ft}} before turning back due to diminishing supplies and the threat of bad weather.<ref>{{cite book |title=Five Miles High|last=Houston|first=Charles S|authorlink=Charles Snead Houston |year=1939 |publisher=Dodd, Mead|location= |isbn=978-1585740512|pages= |coauthors=Bates, Robert }} Reprinted (2000) by First Lyon Press with introduction by [[Jim Wickwire]]</ref><ref>Curran, pp.73–80</ref> The following year an expedition led by [[Fritz Wiessner]] came within {{convert|200|m|ft}} of the summit, but ended in disaster when [[Dudley Wolfe]], [[Pasang Kikuli]], [[Pasang Kitar]] and [[Pintso]] disappeared high on the mountain.<ref>{{cite book |title=K2: The 1939 Tragedy|last=Kaufman|first=Andrew J.|authorlink=|year=1992 |publisher=Mountaineers Books|location= |isbn=978-0898863239|pages=|coauthors=Putnam, William L.}}</ref><ref>Curran pp.81–94</ref> Charles Houston returned to K2 to lead the [[Third American Karakoram Expedition|1953 American expedition]]. The expedition failed due to a storm that pinned the team down for ten days at {{convert|7800|m|ft}}, during which time [[Art Gilkey]] became critically ill. A desperate retreat followed, during which [[Pete Schoening]] saved almost the entire team during a mass fall, and Gilkey was killed, either in an avalanche or in a deliberate attempt to avoid burdening his companions. In spite of the failure and tragedy, the courage shown by the team has given the expedition iconic status in mountaineering history.<ref>{{cite book |title=K2 – The Savage Mountain|last=Houston|first=Charles S|authorlink=Charles Snead Houston |year=1954 |publisher=Mc-Graw-Hill Book Company Inc|location= |isbn=978-1585740130|pages= |coauthors=Bates, Robert }} Reprinted (2000) by First Lyon Press with introduction by [[Jim Wickwire]]</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Brotherhood of the Rope – The Biography of Charles Houston|last=McDonald|first=Bernadette|authorlink=|co-authors=|year=2007 |publisher=The Mountaineers Books|location= |isbn=978-0898869422|pages=119–140}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=K2: The Story of the Savage Mountain|last=Curran|first=Jim|authorlink=|co-authors=|year=1995 |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|location= |isbn=978-0340660072|pages=95–103}}</ref> ===Success and repeats=== An Italian expedition finally succeeded in ascending to the summit of K2 via the Abruzzi Spur on 31 July 1954. The expedition was led by [[Ardito Desio]], although the two climbers who actually reached the top were [[Lino Lacedelli]] and [[Achille Compagnoni]]. The team included a Pakistani member, Colonel Muhammad Ata-ullah, who had been a part of the 1953 American expedition. Also on the expedition were the famous Italian climber [[Walter Bonatti]] and Pakistani Hunza porter Mahdi, who proved vital to the expedition's success in that they carried oxygen to {{convert|8100|m|ft}} for Lacedelli and Compagnoni. Their dramatic [[bivouac shelter|bivouac]] in the open at that altitude wrote another chapter in the saga of Himalayan climbing. On 9 August 1977, 23 years after the Italian expedition, [[Ichiro Yoshizawa]] led the second successful ascent to the top; with [[Ashraf Aman]] as the first native Pakistani climber. The Japanese expedition ascended through the Abruzzi Spur route traced by the Italians, and used more than 1,500 porters to achieve the goal.<ref>{{cite book |title=K2: The Story of the Savage Mountain|last=Curran|first=Jim|authorlink=|co-authors=|year=1995 |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|location= |isbn=978-0340660072|pages=Appendix I}}</ref> [[File:K2 from air.jpg|thumb|The West Face and upper slopes of K2]] The year 1978 saw the third ascent of K2, via a new route, the long, [[cornice (climbing)|cornice]]d Northeast Ridge. (The top of the route traversed left across the East Face to avoid a vertical [[headwall]] and joined the uppermost part of the Abruzzi route.) This ascent was made by an American team, led by noted mountaineer [[Jim Whittaker|James Whittaker]]; the summit party were [[Louis Reichardt]], [[Jim Wickwire]], [[John Roskelley]], and [[Rick Ridgeway]]. Wickwire endured an overnight [[bivouac shelter|bivouac]] about {{convert|150|m|ft}} below the summit, one of the highest bivouacs in climbing history. This ascent was emotional for the American team, as they saw themselves as completing a task that had been begun by the 1938 team forty years earlier.<ref name="aaj_1979">''American Alpine Journal'', 1979, pp. 1–18</ref> {{anchor|Notable1}}Another notable Japanese ascent was that of the difficult [[#North Ridge|North Ridge]], on the Chinese side of the peak, in 1982. A team from the [[Mountaineering Association of Japan]] led by Isao Shinkai and Masatsugo Konishi put three members, Naoe Sakashita, Hiroshi Yoshino, and Yukihiro Yanagisawa, on the summit on 14 August. However Yanagisawa fell and died on the descent. Four other members of the team achieved the summit the next day.<ref name="aaj_1983">''American Alpine Journal'', 1983, p. 295</ref> The first climber to summit K2 twice was [[Czech]] climber Josef Rakoncaj. Rakoncaj was a member of the 1983 Italian expedition led by Francesco Santon, which made the second successful ascent of the North Ridge (31 July 1983). Three years later, on 5 July 1986, he summitted on the Abruzzi Spur (double with Broad Peak West Face solo) as a member of Agostino da Polenza's international expedition. In 2004 the Spanish climber [[Carlos Soria Fontán]] became the oldest person ever to summit K2, at the age of 65.<ref>[http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/k2summiters/ Dozens Reach Top of K2]</ref> ===Recent attempts=== The peak has now been climbed by almost all of its ridges. Although the [[summit (topography)|summit]] of [[Mount Everest|Everest]] is at a higher altitude, K2 is a much more difficult and dangerous climb, due in part to its more inclement weather and comparatively greater height from base to peak. The mountain is believed by many {{Who|date=July 2009}} to be the world's most difficult and dangerous climb, hence its nickname "the Savage Mountain." It, and the surrounding peaks, have claimed more lives than any others.<ref>BBC, ''Planet Earth'', "Mountains", Part Three</ref> As of July 2010, only 302 people have completed the ascent,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/climbers.html|title=Climber Lists: Everest, K2 and other 8000ers}}</ref> compared with over 2,700 individuals who have ascended the more popular target of Everest. At least 80 (as of September 2010) people have died attempting the climb. Notably, 13 climbers from several expeditions died in 1986 in the [[1986 K2 Disaster]], five of these in a severe storm. More recently, on 1 August 2008, [[2008 K2 Disaster|a group of climbers went missing]] after a large piece of ice fell during an avalanche taking out the fixed ropes on part of the route; four climbers were rescued, but 11, including [[Gerard McDonnell]], the first Irish person to reach the summit, were confirmed dead.<ref name="cnn">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/03/pakistan.climbers/index.html|title=Climber: 11 killed after avalanche on Pakistan's K2 | work=CNN | date=3 August 2008 | accessdate=7 May 2010}}</ref> On 6 August 2010, [[Fredrik Ericsson]], who intended to ski from the summit, joined [[Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner]] on the way to the summit of K2. Ericsson fell {{convert|1000|m|ft}} and was killed. Kaltenbrunner aborted her summit attempt.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.stern.de/news2/aktuell/oesterreicherin-bricht-nach-tod-ihres-gefaehrten-besteigung-von-k2-ab-1590619.html|title=Österreicherin bricht nach Tod ihres Gefährten Besteigung von K2 ab|trans_title=Austrian cancels ascent of K2 after death of her companion|newspaper=Stern|language=German}}</ref> ==Climbing routes and difficulties== [[File:Matterhorn-v-K2.jpeg|thumb||A scale comparison of the [[Matterhorn]] and K2 gives an impression of the massive size of K2.]] There are a number of routes on K2, of somewhat different character, but they all share some key difficulties. First, of course, is the extreme high altitude and resulting lack of oxygen: there is only one-third as much oxygen available to a climber on the summit of K2 as there is at sea level.<ref>[http://www.altitude.org/high_altitude.php Altitude oxygen calculator online]</ref> Second is the propensity of the mountain to experience extreme storms of several days' duration, which have resulted in many of the deaths on the peak. Third is the steep, exposed, and committing nature of all routes on the mountain, which makes retreat more difficult, especially during a storm. Despite many attempts there have been no successful winter ascents. All major climbing routes lie on the Pakistani side, which is also where the base camp is located. ===Abruzzi Spur=== [[File:AbruzziSpurRoute1.jpg|thumb||Climbing ladders on Abruzzi Spur]] The standard route of ascent, used far more than any other route, is the Abruzzi Spur,<ref name="him_alpine_style"/><ref name="world_mountaineering"/> located on the Pakistani side, [[#Notable2|first attempted]] by [[Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi]] in 1909. This is the southeast ridge of the peak, rising above the [[Godwin Austen Glacier]]. The spur proper begins at an altitude of {{convert|5400|m|ft}}, where Advanced Base Camp is usually placed. The route follows an alternating series of rock ribs, snow/ice fields, and some technical [[rock climbing]] on two famous features, "House's Chimney" and the "Black Pyramid." Above the Black Pyramid, dangerously exposed and difficult to navigate slopes lead to the easily visible "Shoulder", and thence to the summit. The last major obstacle is a narrow [[couloir]] known as the "[[Bottleneck (K2)|Bottleneck]]", which places climbers dangerously close to a wall of [[serac]]s which form an ice cliff to the east of the summit. It was partly due to the collapse of one of these seracs around 2001 that no climbers summitted the peak in 2002 and 2003.<ref name="aaj_2005"/> On 1 August 2008, [[August 2008 K2 climbing accident|a number of climbers went missing]] when a serac in the Bottleneck snapped and broke their ropes.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite news| url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/03/pakistan.climbers/index.html?iref=mpstoryview | work=CNN | title=Climber: 11 killed after avalanche on Pakistan's K2 - CNN.com | date=3 August 2008 | accessdate=7 May 2010}}</ref><ref name=bbc2008>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7539543.stm|title=Nine feared dead in K2 avalanche |publisher=BBC|accessdate=2008-08-03 | date=3 August 2008}}</ref><!--INVALID URL - Do not use yahoo news URLs for refs, they are not stable<ref name="08/03/2008">{{cite news|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080804/ap_on_re_as/pakistan_missing_climbers|title=9 climbers feared dead after avalanche on K-2|author=AP|publisher=Yahoo!}}</ref>--> Survivors were seen from a helicopter, but rescue efforts were impeded by the high altitude. Eleven were never found, and presumed dead.<ref name="cnn" /> ===North Ridge=== [[File:K2 Nordseite.jpg|thumb|The north side of K2. The North Ridge is in the centre of the picture.]] Almost opposite from the Abruzzi Spur is the North Ridge,<ref name="him_alpine_style"/><ref name="world_mountaineering"/> which ascends the Chinese side of the peak. It is rarely climbed, partly due to very difficult access, involving crossing the [[Shaksgam River]], which is a hazardous undertaking.<ref name="aaj_1991">''American Alpine Journal'', 1991, pp. 19–32</ref> In contrast to the crowds of climbers and trekkers at the Abruzzi basecamp, usually at most two teams are encamped below the North Ridge. This route, more technically difficult than the Abruzzi, ascends a long, steep, primarily rock ridge to high on the mountain&nbsp;— Camp IV, the "Eagle's Nest" at {{convert|7900|m|ft}}&nbsp;— and then crosses a dangerously slide-prone hanging [[glacier]] by a leftward climbing traverse, to reach a snow couloir which accesses the summit. Besides the [[#Notable1|original Japanese ascent]], a notable ascent of the North Ridge was the one in 1990 by Greg Child, Greg Mortimer, and Steve Swenson, which was done [[alpine style]] above Camp 2, though using some [[fixed rope]]s already put in place by a Japanese team.<ref name="aaj_1991"/> ===Other routes=== [[File:K2 south routes.jpg|thumb|right|The major routes to have been climbed on the south side of the mountain. A:West Ridge B:West Face C:Southwest Pillar D:South Face E:South-southeast Spur F: Abruzzi Spur]] * Northeast Ridge (long and corniced; finishes on uppermost part of Abruzzi route), 1978. * West Ridge, 1981. * Southwest Pillar or "Magic Line", very technical, and second most demanding. First climbed in 1986 by the Polish-Slovak trio Piasecki-Wróż-Božik. Since then the Catalan Jordi Corominas was the only successful climber on this route, despite many other attempts. * South Face or "Polish Line" (extremely exposed and most dangerous). In 1986, [[Jerzy Kukuczka]] and [[Tadeusz Piotrowski (mountaineer)|Tadeusz Piotrowski]] summitted on this route. [[Reinhold Messner]] called it a suicidal route and no one has repeated their achievement. "The route is so avalanche-prone, that no one else has ever considered a new attempt."<ref>R. Messner and A. Gogna [1981] (1982) K2 Mountain of Mountains. Translated from German by A. Salked. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-520253-8</ref> * Northwest Face, 1990. * Northwest Ridge (finishing on North Ridge). First ascent in 1991. * South-southeast spur or "Cesen route" (finishing on Abruzzi route&nbsp;— possibly safer alternative to the Abruzzi Spur, because it avoids Black Pyramid, the first big obstacle on Abruzzi), 1994. ===Use of bottled oxygen=== For most of its climbing history, K2 was not usually climbed with bottled oxygen, and small, relatively lightweight teams were the norm.<ref name="him_alpine_style">Andy Fanshawe and Stephen Venables, ''Himalaya Alpine-Style'', Hodder and Stoughton, 1995, ISBN 0-340-64931-3</ref><ref name="world_mountaineering">Audrey Salkeld, editor, ''World Mountaineering'', Bulfinch Press, 1998, ISBN 0-8212-2502-2</ref> However the 2004 season saw a great increase in the use of oxygen: 28 of 47 summiteers used oxygen in that year.<ref name="aaj_2005">''American Alpine Journal'', 2005, p. 351–353</ref> Acclimatisation is essential when climbing without oxygen to avoid some degree of [[altitude sickness]].<ref name=Acclimatisation>{{cite journal |author=Muza, SR; Fulco, CS; Cymerman, A |title=Altitude Acclimatisation Guide. |journal=U.S. Army Research Inst. of Environmental Medicine Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division Technical Report |issue=USARIEM-TN-04-05 |year=2004 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/7616 |accessdate=2009-03-05 }}</ref> K2's summit is well above the altitude at which [[high altitude pulmonary edema]] (HAPE), or [[high altitude cerebral edema]] (HACE) can occur,<ref name=MedicalProblems>{{cite journal |author=Cymerman, A; Rock, PB |title=Medical Problems in High Mountain Environments. A Handbook for Medical Officers |publisher=US Army Research Inst. of Environmental Medicine Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division Technical Report |volume=USARIEM-TN94-2 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/7976 |accessdate=2009-03-05}}</ref> above the 8000-metre altitude that marks the boundary of the "[[Effects_of_high_altitude_on_humans#Death_zone|death zone]]." ==In the media== [[Image:50 rupees back.JPG|thumb|300px|reverse side of Pakistani 50 rupee note]] {{see|List of books about K2}} ===Films=== * ''[[Vertical Limit]]'', 2000 * ''[[K2 (film)|K2]]'', 1991 * ''[[Karakoram & Himalayas]]'', 2007 ==See also== {{Portal|Pakistan}} * [[1986 K2 disaster]] * [[2008 K2 disaster]] * [[Concordia (Karakoram)|Concordia]] * [[Gilgit-Baltistan]] * [[List of mountains in Pakistan]] * [[List of highest mountains|List of the highest mountains in the world]] * [[List of peaks by prominence]] * [[List of deaths on eight-thousanders]] * [[Hassan sadpara]] ==References and notes== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}} {{Note label|A|note|none}} The [[Government of India]] also claims K2 to be in its territory, as part of its territorial dispute on [[Pakistan-administered Kashmir]]. ==External links== {{Commons|K2}} * [http://blankonthemap.free.fr/ Blankonthemap] The Northern Kashmir WebSite * [http://www.leica-geosystems.com/en/The-Himalayas-K2_2704.htm How high is K2 really?] – Measurements in 1996 gave 8614.27±0.6&nbsp;m [[Above mean sea level|a.m.s.l]] * [http://hermetic.com/crowley/confessions/chapter38.html Aleister Crowley's account of the 1902 K2 expedition] * [http://www.k2climb.net/ K2climb.net] * [http://www.evk2cnr.org/cms/ CNR meteo station] * [http://www.macp-pk.org/home.asp The Mountain Areas Conservancy Project] * [http://www.jerberyd.com/climbing/stories/k2/index.htm The climbing history of K2] from the first attempt in 1902 until the Italian success in 1954. * ''Outside Online'': [http://outsideonline.com/outside/destinations/200809/k2-disaster-eleven-climbers-die-1.html The K2 Tragedy] * {{PDFlink|[http://photographic.co.nz/everestposter/K2%20Poster.pdf Sample of K2 poster product including Routes and Notes]|235&nbsp;KB}} From [http://photographic.co.nz/everestposter/ Everest-K2 Posters] * [http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/420123/an/0/page/0#420123 Northern Pakistan – highly detailed placemarks of towns, villages, peaks, glaciers, rivers and minor tributaries in Google Earth ] * {{cite summitpost|id=150257|title=K2}} * [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9044241/K2 "K2"] ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' * [http://www.omnimap.com/cgi/graphic.pl?images/for-topo/64-40851.jpg Map of K2] * [http://www.8000ers.com/cms/content/view/53/192/ List of ascents to December 2007] (in pdf format) * [http://www.mensjournal.com/k2 'K2: The Killing Peak'] ''Men's Journal'' November 2008 feature * [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/sport-obituaries/5320510/Achille-Compagnoni.html Achille Compagnoni ] – ''Daily Telegraph'' obituary * [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/sport-obituaries/6255625/Dr-Charles-Houston.html Dr Charles Houston ] – ''Daily Telegraph'' obituary {{Eight-thousander}} {{Seven Second Summits}} {{DEFAULTSORT:K2 (Mountain)}} [[Category:Mountains of China]] [[Category:Mountains of Pakistan]] [[Category:Eight-thousanders]] [[Category:Karakoram]] [[Category:K2|*]] [[Category:China–Pakistan border]] [[Category:International mountains of Asia]] [[Category:Seven Second Summits]] [[ar:جبل كي 2]] [[bn:কে২]] [[zh-min-nan:K2 Hong]] [[be:Гара Чагары]] [[be-x-old:Чагары]] [[bg:К2]] [[ca:K2]] [[cs:K2]] [[cy:K2]] [[da:K2]] [[de:K2]] [[et:K2]] [[es:K2]] [[eo:K2]] [[eu:K2]] [[fa:کی۲]] [[fr:K2]] [[ga:K2]] [[gl:K2]] [[ko:K2]] [[hi:के२]] [[hr:K2]] [[id:K2]] [[is:K2]] [[it:K2]] [[he:K2]] [[kn:ಕೆ2]] [[ka:კ2]] [[ku:K2]] [[lv:K2]] [[lt:K2]] [[hu:K2 (pakisztáni hegycsúcs)]] [[mk:К2]] [[ml:കെ2]] [[mr:के२]] [[ms:K2]] [[nl:K2]] [[ja:K2]] [[no:K2]] [[nn:K2]] [[pnb:کے ٹو]] [[pl:K2]] [[pt:K2]] [[ro:K2]] [[rm:Lambha Pahar]] [[ru:Чогори]] [[simple:K2]] [[sk:K2 (vrch)]] [[sl:K2]] [[sr:К2]] [[sh:K2]] [[fi:K2]] [[sv:K2]] [[ta:கே-2 கொடுமுடி]] [[te:కే2]] [[th:ยอดเขาเคทู]] [[tg:К2]] [[tr:K2 Dağı (Karakurum)]] [[uk:K2]] [[ur:کے ٹو]] [[vi:K2]] [[zh:喬戈里峰]]'
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'{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2011}} {{About|the South Asian mountain|the mountain in Alberta|Mount K2|other uses|K2 (disambiguation)}} {{pp-move-indef|small=yes}} {{Infobox mountain | name = K2 | photo = K2 2006b.jpg | photo_caption = K2, summer 2006 | elevation_m = 8611 | elevation_ref = <br /><small>[[List of highest mountains|Ranked 2nd]] ([[List of mountains in Pakistan|1st in Pakistan]])</small> | prominence_m = 4017 | prominence_ref = | map = Tibetan Plateau | map_caption = | label_position = right | listing = [[Eight-thousander]]<br />[[List of peaks by prominence|22nd most prominent]]<br />[[List of countries by highest point|Country high point]]<br />[[Seven Second Summits]] | location = {{Flagicon|PAK}} [[Gilgit-Baltistan]], [[Pakistan]]<br />{{Flagicon|PRC}} [[Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County|Tashkurgan]], [[Xinjiang]], China | range = [[Karakoram]] | lat_d = 35 | lat_m = 52 | lat_s = 57 | lat_NS = N | long_d = 76 | long_m = 30 | long_s = 48 | long_EW = E | coordinates = {{Coord|35|52|57|N|76|30|48|E |type:mountain |display=inline,title}} | coordinates_ref = <ref>[http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/420123/an/0/page/0#420123 Northern Pakistan Places, Photos, 750+ Placemarks! – Google Earth Community<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> | first_ascent = 31 July 1954<br />{{Flagicon|ITA}} [[Achille Compagnoni]]<br />{{Flagicon|ITA}} [[Lino Lacedelli]] | easiest_route = Abruzzi Spur }} '''K2''' is the second-[[List of highest mountains|highest]] mountain on Earth, after [[Mount Everest]]. With a peak elevation of {{convert|28251|ft|m|disp=flip|abbr=in}}, K2 is part of the [[Karakoram]] [[Mountain Range|Range]], and is located on the border<ref name="border_agreement">[http://www.law.fsu.edu/library/collection/LimitsinSeas/IBS085.pdf Text of border agreement between China and Pakistan]</ref> between [[Gilgit]], in [[Gilgit-Baltistan]] of [[Pakistan]] and the [[Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County]] of [[Xinjiang]], China.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/309107/K2|title=K2|publisher=Britannica.com|accessdate=2010-01-23}}</ref>{{Ref label|A|note|none}} It is more hazardous to reach K2 from the Chinese side; thus, it is mostly climbed from the Pakistani side. K2 is known as the '''Savage Mountain''' due to the difficulty of ascent and the second-highest fatality rate among the "[[eight thousanders]]" for those who climb it. For every four people who have reached the summit, one has died trying.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.8000ers.com/cms/download.html?func=startdown&id=161|title=K2 list of ascents and fatalities|format=PDF|publisher=8000ers.com|accessdate=2010-01-23}}</ref> Unlike [[Annapurna]], the mountain with the highest fatality rate, K2 has never been climbed in winter. == Name == [[File:K2 by Montgomery.jpg|thumb|left|Montgomerie's original sketch in which he applied the notation K2]] The name K2 is derived from the notation used by the [[Great Trigonometric Survey]]. [[Thomas George Montgomerie|Thomas Montgomerie]] made the first survey of the Karakoram from [[Mount Haramukh]], some {{convert|130|mi|km|disp=flip|abbr=in}} to the south, and sketched the two most prominent peaks, labelling them K1 and K2.<ref>{{cite book |title=K2: The Story of the Savage Mountain|last=Curran|first=Jim|authorlink=|co-authors=|year=1995 |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|location= |isbn=978-0340660072|page=25}}</ref> The policy of the Great Trigonometric Survey was to use local names for mountains wherever possible<ref>The most obvious exception to this policy was [[Mount Everest]], where the local name Chomolungma was probably known, but ignored in order to pay tribute to [[George Everest]]. See Curran, p. 29-30.</ref> and K1 was found to be known locally as [[Masherbrum]]. K2, however, appeared not to have acquired a local name, possibly due to its remoteness. The mountain is not visible from [[Askole]], the last village to the south, or from the nearest habitation to the north, and is only fleetingly glimpsed from the end of the [[Baltoro Glacier]], beyond which few local people would have ventured.<ref name="Curran30">Curran, p. 30</ref> The name ''Chogori'', derived from two [[Balti language|Balti]] words, ''chhogo'' ("big") and ''ri'' ("mountain") (شاہگوری) has been suggested as a local name, but evidence for its widespread use is scant. It may have been a compound name invented by Western explorers<ref name="carter_1983">[[H. Adams Carter]], "A Note on the Chinese Name for K2, 'Qogir'", ''American Alpine Journal'', 1983, p. 296. Carter, the long-time editor of the ''AAJ'', goes on to say that the name ''Chogori'' "has no local usage. The mountain was not prominently visible from places where local inhabitants ventured and so had no local name&nbsp;... The Baltis use no other name for the peak than K2, which they pronounce 'Ketu'. I strongly recommend ''against'' the use of the name ''Chogori'' in any of its forms."</ref> or simply a bemused reply to the question "What's that called?"<ref name="Curran30"/> It does, however, form the basis for the name ''Qogir'' ({{zh|s=乔戈里峰|t=喬戈里峰|p=Qiáogēlǐ Fēng}}) by which Chinese authorities officially refer to the peak. Other local names have been suggested including ''Lamba Pahar'' ("Tall Mountain" in Urdu) and ''Dapsang'', but are not widely used.<ref name="Curran30"/> Lacking a local name, the name ''Mount Godwin-Austen'' was suggested, in honour of [[Henry Haversham Godwin-Austen|Henry Godwin-Austen]], an early explorer of the area, and while the name was rejected by the [[Royal Geographical Society]]<ref name="Curran30"/> it was used on several maps, and continues to be used occasionally.<ref>{{CIA World Factbook link|pk|Pakistan}}</ref><ref name="carter_godwin_austen">H. Adams Carter, "Balti Place Names in the Karakoram", ''American Alpine Journal'', 1975, p. 52–53. Carter notes that "Godwin Austen is the name of the glacier at its eastern foot and is only incorrectly used on some maps as the name of the mountain."</ref> The surveyor's mark, K2, therefore continues to be the name by which the mountain is commonly known. It is now also used in the Balti language, rendered as ''Kechu'' or ''Ketu''<ref name="carter_1983"/><ref name="carter_ketu">Carter, ''op cit''. Carter notes a generalisation of the word ''Ketu'': "A new word, ''ketu'', meaning 'big peak', seems to be entering the Balti language."</ref> ({{lang-ur|کے ٹو}}). The Italian climber [[Fosco Maraini]] argued in his account of the ascent of [[Gasherbrum IV]] that while the name of K2 owes its origin to chance, its clipped, impersonal nature is highly appropriate for so remote and challenging a mountain. He concluded that it was&nbsp;...<ref>{{cite book |title=Karakoram: the ascent of Gasherbrum IV |last=Maraini |first=Fosco |authorlink=Fosco Maraini |co-authors= |year=1961 |publisher=Hutchinson |location= |isbn= |pages= }} Quoted in Curran, p. 31.</ref> {{quote|...&nbsp;just the bare bones of a name, all rock and ice and storm and abyss. It makes no attempt to sound human. It is atoms and stars. It has the nakedness of the world before the first man&nbsp;– or of the cindered planet after the last.}} ==Geographical setting== K2 lies in the northwestern [[Karakoram Range]]. The [[Tarim basin|Tarim sedimentary basin]] borders the range on the north and the [[Lesser Himalayas]] on the south. Melt waters from vast glaciers, such as those south and east of K2, feed agriculture in the valleys and contribute significantly to the regional fresh-water supply. The Karakoram Range lies along the southern edge of the [[Eurasian plate|Eurasian tectonic plate]] and is made up of ancient sedimentary rocks (more than 390 million years old). Those strata were folded and thrust-faulted, and granite masses were intruded, when the [[Indian plate]] collided with Eurasia, beginning more than 100 million years ago.<ref>{{Include-NASA|article=STS106-705-9|url=http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/debrief/STS106/topFiles/STS106-705-9.htm}}</ref> K2 is only [[List of peaks by prominence|ranked 22nd]] by [[topographic prominence]], a measure of a mountain's independent stature, because it is part of the same extended area of uplift (including the Karakoram, the Tibetan Plateau, and the Himalaya) as [[Mount Everest]], in that it is possible to follow a path from K2 to Everest that goes no lower than {{convert|4594|m|ft}}, at [[Mustang (kingdom)|Mustang Lo]]. Many other peaks which are far lower than K2 are more independent in this sense. However, K2 is notable for its local relief as well as its total height. It stands over {{convert|3000|m|ft}} above much of the glacial valley bottoms at its base. More extraordinary is the fact that it is a consistently steep pyramid, dropping quickly in almost all directions. The north side is the steepest: there it rises over {{convert|3200|m|ft}} above the K2 (Qogir) Glacier in only {{convert|3000|m|ft}} of horizontal distance. In most directions, it achieves over {{convert|2800|m|ft}} of vertical relief in less than {{convert|4000|m|ft}}.<ref name="8000m_map">Jerzy Wala, ''The Eight-Thousand-Metre Peaks of the Karakoram'', Orographical Sketch Map, The Climbing Company Ltd/Cordee, 1994.</ref> ==Climbing history== ===Early attempts=== [[File:K2 West 1909.jpg|thumb|right|The west face of K2 taken from the Savoia Glacier on the 1909 expedition] ppppppppppppaaaaaaaaaaakkkkkkkistan izzzzzzzz the best The mountain was first surveyed by a European survey team in 1856. [[Thomas George Montgomerie|Thomas Montgomerie]] was the member of the team who designated it "K2" for being the second peak of the Karakoram range. The other peaks were originally named K1, K3, K4 and K5, but were eventually renamed [[Masherbrum]], [[Broad Peak]], [[Gasherbrum II]] and [[Gasherbrum I]] respectively. In 1892, [[Martin Conway, 1st Baron Conway of Allington|Martin Conway]] led a British expedition that reached "[[Concordia (Karakoram)|Concordia]]" on the [[Baltoro Glacier]].<ref>Charles S. Houston (1953) K2, the Savage Mountain. McGraw-Hill.</ref> The first serious attempt to climb K2 was undertaken in 1902 by [[Oscar Eckenstein]] and [[Aleister Crowley]], via the Northeast Ridge. In the early 1900s, modern transportation did not exist: It took "fourteen days just to reach the foot of the mountain".<ref>[http://hermetic.com/crowley/confessions/chapter16.html] "Confessions of Aleister Crowley, Chapter 16"</ref> After five serious and costly attempts, the team reached {{convert|6525|m|ft}}<ref>[http://www.k2climb.net/expguide/timeline.htm A timeline of human activity on K2]</ref>&nbsp;— although considering the difficulty of the challenge, and the lack of modern climbing equipment or weatherproof fabrics, Crowley's statement that "neither man nor beast was injured" highlights the pioneering spirit and bravery of the attempt. The failures were also attributed to sickness (Crowley was suffering the residual effects of malaria), a combination of questionable physical training, personality conflicts, and poor weather conditions&nbsp;— of 68 days spent on K2 (at the time, the record for the longest time spent at such an altitude) only eight provided clear weather.<ref>{{cite book | last = Booth | first = Martin | authorlink = Martin Booth | title=A Magick Life: A Biography of Aleister Crowley | origyear=2000 | format=[[trade paperback]] | edition=Coronet | year=2001 | publisher=Hodder and Stoughton | location=London | isbn=0-340-71806-4 | pages=152–157 | chapter = Rhythms of Rapture}}</ref> {{anchor|Notable2}}The next expedition to K2 in 1909, led by [[Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi]], reached an elevation of around {{convert|6250|m|ft}} on the South East Spur, now known as the ''Abruzzi Spur'' (or Abruzzi Ridge). This would eventually become part of the standard route, but was abandoned at the time due to its steepness and difficulty. After trying and failing to find a feasible alternative route on the West Ridge or the North East Ridge, the Duke declared that K2 would never be climbed, and the team switched its attention to [[Chogolisa]], where the Duke came within {{convert|150|m|ft}} of the summit before being driven back by a storm.<ref>{{cite book |title=K2: The Story of the Savage Mountain|last=Curran|first=Jim|authorlink=|coauthors=|year=1995 |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|location= |isbn=978-0340660072|pages=65–72}}</ref> [[File:K2 East Face 1909.jpg|thumb|K2 from the east, photographed during the 1909 expedition]] The next attempt on K2 was not made until 1938, when an American expedition led by [[Charles Snead Houston|Charles Houston]] made a reconnaissance of the mountain. They concluded that the Abruzzi Spur was the most practical route, and reached a height of around {{convert|8000|m|ft}} before turning back due to diminishing supplies and the threat of bad weather.<ref>{{cite book |title=Five Miles High|last=Houston|first=Charles S|authorlink=Charles Snead Houston |year=1939 |publisher=Dodd, Mead|location= |isbn=978-1585740512|pages= |coauthors=Bates, Robert }} Reprinted (2000) by First Lyon Press with introduction by [[Jim Wickwire]]</ref><ref>Curran, pp.73–80</ref> The following year an expedition led by [[Fritz Wiessner]] came within {{convert|200|m|ft}} of the summit, but ended in disaster when [[Dudley Wolfe]], [[Pasang Kikuli]], [[Pasang Kitar]] and [[Pintso]] disappeared high on the mountain.<ref>{{cite book |title=K2: The 1939 Tragedy|last=Kaufman|first=Andrew J.|authorlink=|year=1992 |publisher=Mountaineers Books|location= |isbn=978-0898863239|pages=|coauthors=Putnam, William L.}}</ref><ref>Curran pp.81–94</ref> Charles Houston returned to K2 to lead the [[Third American Karakoram Expedition|1953 American expedition]]. The expedition failed due to a storm that pinned the team down for ten days at {{convert|7800|m|ft}}, during which time [[Art Gilkey]] became critically ill. A desperate retreat followed, during which [[Pete Schoening]] saved almost the entire team during a mass fall, and Gilkey was killed, either in an avalanche or in a deliberate attempt to avoid burdening his companions. In spite of the failure and tragedy, the courage shown by the team has given the expedition iconic status in mountaineering history.<ref>{{cite book |title=K2 – The Savage Mountain|last=Houston|first=Charles S|authorlink=Charles Snead Houston |year=1954 |publisher=Mc-Graw-Hill Book Company Inc|location= |isbn=978-1585740130|pages= |coauthors=Bates, Robert }} Reprinted (2000) by First Lyon Press with introduction by [[Jim Wickwire]]</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Brotherhood of the Rope – The Biography of Charles Houston|last=McDonald|first=Bernadette|authorlink=|co-authors=|year=2007 |publisher=The Mountaineers Books|location= |isbn=978-0898869422|pages=119–140}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=K2: The Story of the Savage Mountain|last=Curran|first=Jim|authorlink=|co-authors=|year=1995 |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|location= |isbn=978-0340660072|pages=95–103}}</ref> ===Success and repeats=== An Italian expedition finally succeeded in ascending to the summit of K2 via the Abruzzi Spur on 31 July 1954. The expedition was led by [[Ardito Desio]], although the two climbers who actually reached the top were [[Lino Lacedelli]] and [[Achille Compagnoni]]. The team included a Pakistani member, Colonel Muhammad Ata-ullah, who had been a part of the 1953 American expedition. Also on the expedition were the famous Italian climber [[Walter Bonatti]] and Pakistani Hunza porter Mahdi, who proved vital to the expedition's success in that they carried oxygen to {{convert|8100|m|ft}} for Lacedelli and Compagnoni. Their dramatic [[bivouac shelter|bivouac]] in the open at that altitude wrote another chapter in the saga of Himalayan climbing. On 9 August 1977, 23 years after the Italian expedition, [[Ichiro Yoshizawa]] led the second successful ascent to the top; with [[Ashraf Aman]] as the first native Pakistani climber. The Japanese expedition ascended through the Abruzzi Spur route traced by the Italians, and used more than 1,500 porters to achieve the goal.<ref>{{cite book |title=K2: The Story of the Savage Mountain|last=Curran|first=Jim|authorlink=|co-authors=|year=1995 |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|location= |isbn=978-0340660072|pages=Appendix I}}</ref> [[File:K2 from air.jpg|thumb|The West Face and upper slopes of K2]] The year 1978 saw the third ascent of K2, via a new route, the long, [[cornice (climbing)|cornice]]d Northeast Ridge. (The top of the route traversed left across the East Face to avoid a vertical [[headwall]] and joined the uppermost part of the Abruzzi route.) This ascent was made by an American team, led by noted mountaineer [[Jim Whittaker|James Whittaker]]; the summit party were [[Louis Reichardt]], [[Jim Wickwire]], [[John Roskelley]], and [[Rick Ridgeway]]. Wickwire endured an overnight [[bivouac shelter|bivouac]] about {{convert|150|m|ft}} below the summit, one of the highest bivouacs in climbing history. This ascent was emotional for the American team, as they saw themselves as completing a task that had been begun by the 1938 team forty years earlier.<ref name="aaj_1979">''American Alpine Journal'', 1979, pp. 1–18</ref> {{anchor|Notable1}}Another notable Japanese ascent was that of the difficult [[#North Ridge|North Ridge]], on the Chinese side of the peak, in 1982. A team from the [[Mountaineering Association of Japan]] led by Isao Shinkai and Masatsugo Konishi put three members, Naoe Sakashita, Hiroshi Yoshino, and Yukihiro Yanagisawa, on the summit on 14 August. However Yanagisawa fell and died on the descent. Four other members of the team achieved the summit the next day.<ref name="aaj_1983">''American Alpine Journal'', 1983, p. 295</ref> The first climber to summit K2 twice was [[Czech]] climber Josef Rakoncaj. Rakoncaj was a member of the 1983 Italian expedition led by Francesco Santon, which made the second successful ascent of the North Ridge (31 July 1983). Three years later, on 5 July 1986, he summitted on the Abruzzi Spur (double with Broad Peak West Face solo) as a member of Agostino da Polenza's international expedition. In 2004 the Spanish climber [[Carlos Soria Fontán]] became the oldest person ever to summit K2, at the age of 65.<ref>[http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/k2summiters/ Dozens Reach Top of K2]</ref> ===Recent attempts=== The peak has now been climbed by almost all of its ridges. Although the [[summit (topography)|summit]] of [[Mount Everest|Everest]] is at a higher altitude, K2 is a much more difficult and dangerous climb, due in part to its more inclement weather and comparatively greater height from base to peak. The mountain is believed by many {{Who|date=July 2009}} to be the world's most difficult and dangerous climb, hence its nickname "the Savage Mountain." It, and the surrounding peaks, have claimed more lives than any others.<ref>BBC, ''Planet Earth'', "Mountains", Part Three</ref> As of July 2010, only 302 people have completed the ascent,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/climbers.html|title=Climber Lists: Everest, K2 and other 8000ers}}</ref> compared with over 2,700 individuals who have ascended the more popular target of Everest. At least 80 (as of September 2010) people have died attempting the climb. Notably, 13 climbers from several expeditions died in 1986 in the [[1986 K2 Disaster]], five of these in a severe storm. More recently, on 1 August 2008, [[2008 K2 Disaster|a group of climbers went missing]] after a large piece of ice fell during an avalanche taking out the fixed ropes on part of the route; four climbers were rescued, but 11, including [[Gerard McDonnell]], the first Irish person to reach the summit, were confirmed dead.<ref name="cnn">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/03/pakistan.climbers/index.html|title=Climber: 11 killed after avalanche on Pakistan's K2 | work=CNN | date=3 August 2008 | accessdate=7 May 2010}}</ref> On 6 August 2010, [[Fredrik Ericsson]], who intended to ski from the summit, joined [[Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner]] on the way to the summit of K2. Ericsson fell {{convert|1000|m|ft}} and was killed. Kaltenbrunner aborted her summit attempt.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.stern.de/news2/aktuell/oesterreicherin-bricht-nach-tod-ihres-gefaehrten-besteigung-von-k2-ab-1590619.html|title=Österreicherin bricht nach Tod ihres Gefährten Besteigung von K2 ab|trans_title=Austrian cancels ascent of K2 after death of her companion|newspaper=Stern|language=German}}</ref> ==Climbing routes and difficulties== [[File:Matterhorn-v-K2.jpeg|thumb||A scale comparison of the [[Matterhorn]] and K2 gives an impression of the massive size of K2.]] There are a number of routes on K2, of somewhat different character, but they all share some key difficulties. First, of course, is the extreme high altitude and resulting lack of oxygen: there is only one-third as much oxygen available to a climber on the summit of K2 as there is at sea level.<ref>[http://www.altitude.org/high_altitude.php Altitude oxygen calculator online]</ref> Second is the propensity of the mountain to experience extreme storms of several days' duration, which have resulted in many of the deaths on the peak. Third is the steep, exposed, and committing nature of all routes on the mountain, which makes retreat more difficult, especially during a storm. Despite many attempts there have been no successful winter ascents. All major climbing routes lie on the Pakistani side, which is also where the base camp is located. ===Abruzzi Spur=== [[File:AbruzziSpurRoute1.jpg|thumb||Climbing ladders on Abruzzi Spur]] The standard route of ascent, used far more than any other route, is the Abruzzi Spur,<ref name="him_alpine_style"/><ref name="world_mountaineering"/> located on the Pakistani side, [[#Notable2|first attempted]] by [[Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi]] in 1909. This is the southeast ridge of the peak, rising above the [[Godwin Austen Glacier]]. The spur proper begins at an altitude of {{convert|5400|m|ft}}, where Advanced Base Camp is usually placed. The route follows an alternating series of rock ribs, snow/ice fields, and some technical [[rock climbing]] on two famous features, "House's Chimney" and the "Black Pyramid." Above the Black Pyramid, dangerously exposed and difficult to navigate slopes lead to the easily visible "Shoulder", and thence to the summit. The last major obstacle is a narrow [[couloir]] known as the "[[Bottleneck (K2)|Bottleneck]]", which places climbers dangerously close to a wall of [[serac]]s which form an ice cliff to the east of the summit. It was partly due to the collapse of one of these seracs around 2001 that no climbers summitted the peak in 2002 and 2003.<ref name="aaj_2005"/> On 1 August 2008, [[August 2008 K2 climbing accident|a number of climbers went missing]] when a serac in the Bottleneck snapped and broke their ropes.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite news| url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/03/pakistan.climbers/index.html?iref=mpstoryview | work=CNN | title=Climber: 11 killed after avalanche on Pakistan's K2 - CNN.com | date=3 August 2008 | accessdate=7 May 2010}}</ref><ref name=bbc2008>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7539543.stm|title=Nine feared dead in K2 avalanche |publisher=BBC|accessdate=2008-08-03 | date=3 August 2008}}</ref><!--INVALID URL - Do not use yahoo news URLs for refs, they are not stable<ref name="08/03/2008">{{cite news|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080804/ap_on_re_as/pakistan_missing_climbers|title=9 climbers feared dead after avalanche on K-2|author=AP|publisher=Yahoo!}}</ref>--> Survivors were seen from a helicopter, but rescue efforts were impeded by the high altitude. Eleven were never found, and presumed dead.<ref name="cnn" /> ===North Ridge=== [[File:K2 Nordseite.jpg|thumb|The north side of K2. The North Ridge is in the centre of the picture.]] Almost opposite from the Abruzzi Spur is the North Ridge,<ref name="him_alpine_style"/><ref name="world_mountaineering"/> which ascends the Chinese side of the peak. It is rarely climbed, partly due to very difficult access, involving crossing the [[Shaksgam River]], which is a hazardous undertaking.<ref name="aaj_1991">''American Alpine Journal'', 1991, pp. 19–32</ref> In contrast to the crowds of climbers and trekkers at the Abruzzi basecamp, usually at most two teams are encamped below the North Ridge. This route, more technically difficult than the Abruzzi, ascends a long, steep, primarily rock ridge to high on the mountain&nbsp;— Camp IV, the "Eagle's Nest" at {{convert|7900|m|ft}}&nbsp;— and then crosses a dangerously slide-prone hanging [[glacier]] by a leftward climbing traverse, to reach a snow couloir which accesses the summit. Besides the [[#Notable1|original Japanese ascent]], a notable ascent of the North Ridge was the one in 1990 by Greg Child, Greg Mortimer, and Steve Swenson, which was done [[alpine style]] above Camp 2, though using some [[fixed rope]]s already put in place by a Japanese team.<ref name="aaj_1991"/> ===Other routes=== [[File:K2 south routes.jpg|thumb|right|The major routes to have been climbed on the south side of the mountain. A:West Ridge B:West Face C:Southwest Pillar D:South Face E:South-southeast Spur F: Abruzzi Spur]] * Northeast Ridge (long and corniced; finishes on uppermost part of Abruzzi route), 1978. * West Ridge, 1981. * Southwest Pillar or "Magic Line", very technical, and second most demanding. First climbed in 1986 by the Polish-Slovak trio Piasecki-Wróż-Božik. Since then the Catalan Jordi Corominas was the only successful climber on this route, despite many other attempts. * South Face or "Polish Line" (extremely exposed and most dangerous). In 1986, [[Jerzy Kukuczka]] and [[Tadeusz Piotrowski (mountaineer)|Tadeusz Piotrowski]] summitted on this route. [[Reinhold Messner]] called it a suicidal route and no one has repeated their achievement. "The route is so avalanche-prone, that no one else has ever considered a new attempt."<ref>R. Messner and A. Gogna [1981] (1982) K2 Mountain of Mountains. Translated from German by A. Salked. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-520253-8</ref> * Northwest Face, 1990. * Northwest Ridge (finishing on North Ridge). First ascent in 1991. * South-southeast spur or "Cesen route" (finishing on Abruzzi route&nbsp;— possibly safer alternative to the Abruzzi Spur, because it avoids Black Pyramid, the first big obstacle on Abruzzi), 1994. ===Use of bottled oxygen=== For most of its climbing history, K2 was not usually climbed with bottled oxygen, and small, relatively lightweight teams were the norm.<ref name="him_alpine_style">Andy Fanshawe and Stephen Venables, ''Himalaya Alpine-Style'', Hodder and Stoughton, 1995, ISBN 0-340-64931-3</ref><ref name="world_mountaineering">Audrey Salkeld, editor, ''World Mountaineering'', Bulfinch Press, 1998, ISBN 0-8212-2502-2</ref> However the 2004 season saw a great increase in the use of oxygen: 28 of 47 summiteers used oxygen in that year.<ref name="aaj_2005">''American Alpine Journal'', 2005, p. 351–353</ref> Acclimatisation is essential when climbing without oxygen to avoid some degree of [[altitude sickness]].<ref name=Acclimatisation>{{cite journal |author=Muza, SR; Fulco, CS; Cymerman, A |title=Altitude Acclimatisation Guide. |journal=U.S. Army Research Inst. of Environmental Medicine Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division Technical Report |issue=USARIEM-TN-04-05 |year=2004 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/7616 |accessdate=2009-03-05 }}</ref> K2's summit is well above the altitude at which [[high altitude pulmonary edema]] (HAPE), or [[high altitude cerebral edema]] (HACE) can occur,<ref name=MedicalProblems>{{cite journal |author=Cymerman, A; Rock, PB |title=Medical Problems in High Mountain Environments. A Handbook for Medical Officers |publisher=US Army Research Inst. of Environmental Medicine Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division Technical Report |volume=USARIEM-TN94-2 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/7976 |accessdate=2009-03-05}}</ref> above the 8000-metre altitude that marks the boundary of the "[[Effects_of_high_altitude_on_humans#Death_zone|death zone]]." ==In the media== [[Image:50 rupees back.JPG|thumb|300px|reverse side of Pakistani 50 rupee note]] {{see|List of books about K2}} ===Films=== * ''[[Vertical Limit]]'', 2000 * ''[[K2 (film)|K2]]'', 1991 * ''[[Karakoram & Himalayas]]'', 2007 ==See also== {{Portal|Pakistan}} * [[1986 K2 disaster]] * [[2008 K2 disaster]] * [[Concordia (Karakoram)|Concordia]] * [[Gilgit-Baltistan]] * [[List of mountains in Pakistan]] * [[List of highest mountains|List of the highest mountains in the world]] * [[List of peaks by prominence]] * [[List of deaths on eight-thousanders]] * [[Hassan sadpara]] ==References and notes== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}} {{Note label|A|note|none}} The [[Government of India]] also claims K2 to be in its territory, as part of its territorial dispute on [[Pakistan-administered Kashmir]]. ==External links== {{Commons|K2}} * [http://blankonthemap.free.fr/ Blankonthemap] The Northern Kashmir WebSite * [http://www.leica-geosystems.com/en/The-Himalayas-K2_2704.htm How high is K2 really?] – Measurements in 1996 gave 8614.27±0.6&nbsp;m [[Above mean sea level|a.m.s.l]] * [http://hermetic.com/crowley/confessions/chapter38.html Aleister Crowley's account of the 1902 K2 expedition] * [http://www.k2climb.net/ K2climb.net] * [http://www.evk2cnr.org/cms/ CNR meteo station] * [http://www.macp-pk.org/home.asp The Mountain Areas Conservancy Project] * [http://www.jerberyd.com/climbing/stories/k2/index.htm The climbing history of K2] from the first attempt in 1902 until the Italian success in 1954. * ''Outside Online'': [http://outsideonline.com/outside/destinations/200809/k2-disaster-eleven-climbers-die-1.html The K2 Tragedy] * {{PDFlink|[http://photographic.co.nz/everestposter/K2%20Poster.pdf Sample of K2 poster product including Routes and Notes]|235&nbsp;KB}} From [http://photographic.co.nz/everestposter/ Everest-K2 Posters] * [http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/420123/an/0/page/0#420123 Northern Pakistan – highly detailed placemarks of towns, villages, peaks, glaciers, rivers and minor tributaries in Google Earth ] * {{cite summitpost|id=150257|title=K2}} * [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9044241/K2 "K2"] ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' * [http://www.omnimap.com/cgi/graphic.pl?images/for-topo/64-40851.jpg Map of K2] * [http://www.8000ers.com/cms/content/view/53/192/ List of ascents to December 2007] (in pdf format) * [http://www.mensjournal.com/k2 'K2: The Killing Peak'] ''Men's Journal'' November 2008 feature * [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/sport-obituaries/5320510/Achille-Compagnoni.html Achille Compagnoni ] – ''Daily Telegraph'' obituary * [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/sport-obituaries/6255625/Dr-Charles-Houston.html Dr Charles Houston ] – ''Daily Telegraph'' obituary {{Eight-thousander}} {{Seven Second Summits}} {{DEFAULTSORT:K2 (Mountain)}} [[Category:Mountains of China]] [[Category:Mountains of Pakistan]] [[Category:Eight-thousanders]] [[Category:Karakoram]] [[Category:K2|*]] [[Category:China–Pakistan border]] [[Category:International mountains of Asia]] [[Category:Seven Second Summits]] [[ar:جبل كي 2]] [[bn:কে২]] [[zh-min-nan:K2 Hong]] [[be:Гара Чагары]] [[be-x-old:Чагары]] [[bg:К2]] [[ca:K2]] [[cs:K2]] [[cy:K2]] [[da:K2]] [[de:K2]] [[et:K2]] [[es:K2]] [[eo:K2]] [[eu:K2]] [[fa:کی۲]] [[fr:K2]] [[ga:K2]] [[gl:K2]] [[ko:K2]] [[hi:के२]] [[hr:K2]] [[id:K2]] [[is:K2]] [[it:K2]] [[he:K2]] [[kn:ಕೆ2]] [[ka:კ2]] [[ku:K2]] [[lv:K2]] [[lt:K2]] [[hu:K2 (pakisztáni hegycsúcs)]] [[mk:К2]] [[ml:കെ2]] [[mr:के२]] [[ms:K2]] [[nl:K2]] [[ja:K2]] [[no:K2]] [[nn:K2]] [[pnb:کے ٹو]] [[pl:K2]] [[pt:K2]] [[ro:K2]] [[rm:Lambha Pahar]] [[ru:Чогори]] [[simple:K2]] [[sk:K2 (vrch)]] [[sl:K2]] [[sr:К2]] [[sh:K2]] [[fi:K2]] [[sv:K2]] [[ta:கே-2 கொடுமுடி]] [[te:కే2]] [[th:ยอดเขาเคทู]] [[tg:К2]] [[tr:K2 Dağı (Karakurum)]] [[uk:K2]] [[ur:کے ٹو]] [[vi:K2]] [[zh:喬戈里峰]]'
Whether or not the change was made through a Tor exit node (tor_exit_node)
0
Unix timestamp of change (timestamp)
1309190534